“To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.” (George Mason)

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; (William Pitt)

FACTS

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” (John Adams)

◊ The right of American citizens to “keep and bear arms” was first established in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution in 1787. Since then, the US Supreme Court has upheld that basic right on at least 5 challenges from individual states. However, the Supreme Court has allowed some federal guidelines (e.g., the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986). It has supported the right of individual states to somewhat restrict certain types of weapons and to implement specific ownership requirements.Wikipedia. “Second Amendment to the United States Constitution”

◊ Ironically, while protection and personal safety are the top reasons given for American gun ownership:

A University of Pennsylvania study showed that carrying a gun for protection makes you 4 times more likely to get shot or killed in an attack.

A 5-year study of 14,000 interactions between criminals and victims found that while 42% of the victims took physical action against their attackers, a gun was used for self-defense in less than 1% of those incidents.

◊ In all 50 states, federally licensed gun sellers are required to do background checks before all gun sales. In 32 states, private, unlicensed gun owners are NOT required to do background checks when selling to individuals. In 2015, that legal loophole allowed 5 million individuals to purchase guns without background checks.

Gun owners, however, are challenging the statistics on gun ownership, claiming that the majority of Americans are armed but don’t register their guns in order to protect themselves from possible government confiscation. Gun control advocates and politicians continue to be puzzled and frustrated because there is no reliable correlation between gun-control laws and lower crime rates.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION

A long-promoted National Rifle Association slogan offers a possible answer for solving the problems – that create the fear – that make Americans arm themselves for protection.

“Guns don’t kill people; People kill people” is true. Gun deaths are not a stand-alone problem, but rather, the effect of unresolved “people” issues. The number of US gun deaths would immediately drop by half if the following social problems surrounding gun homicides were effectively and publicly addressed at all levels of government and education.

Promote Less Alcohol Consumption: 48% of people who kill with guns were under the influence of alcohol when they committed the crime.

Focus on Non-violent Problem Solving: 50% of the people murdered by guns knew their assailants.

Focus on Non-violent Problem Solving with Young Men: 90% of all gun homicides are committed by males, the majority of them being young adults.